James Potter and the Demons of Hogwarts
by L. Hawthorne Black
Summary: While Harry Potter's story may be finished, that does not mean trouble has left the Potter family for long. Young James Potter II is finally on his way to Hogwarts. However, things take a drastic change when he discovers that he is the son of a hero. Throw in some pranks, flying lessons and evil demons dwelling beneath the castle and it's sure to be a memorable first year!
1. Preface

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all of its original characters belong to J.K. Rowling, not me...sadly. I do however own all the new characters you will find in this story. Enjoy and feel free to review!**

An agonized scream filled the air of all the rooms in the newly built Brittish cottage of number seven Godrics Hallow. It pierced nearly every ear within the vicinity, causing several groans to be emitted from the men currently sitting in the living room.

One man in particular had his hands pressed firmly against his ears, his normally tall and gangly body hunched over as he buried his head into the nearest pillow, allowing only his bright red hair to be seen.

"Has she got to be so bloody loud about it?" He sighed, rubbing his ears once more when the scream stopped. Only to receive a firm whack from his angry wife.

"Honestly Ronald, could you be any more insensitive?" She snapped, moving her dirty blonde locks out of her face as her husband stood up and stretched.

"Well I don't seem to recall Angelina hurting my eardrums this much when we came to her house." He retorted, rubbing his head.

"I beg to differ." Another red headed man, slightly taller than Ronald, spoke up. If one looked closely, they would notice the lack of ear on his left side. "You happened to be asleep for the first six hours of Angelina's labor. I don't know how really. She was louder than a banshee."

At that moment, both men received a well deserved whack by their mother. Molly Weasley glared at her two sons as she bustled through the room, a large pile of towels in her arms.

Bursting the door open, she just as quickly slammed it shut and returned to her daughter, the beautiful young woman who currently lay exhausted in her bed. A man sat beside her, his hand gently brushing his wife's fiery red locks out of her face. Relief immediately flooded the jade green eyes behind his rounded glasses when he saw his mother in law return once more.

"Three clean soft blankets, just as requested." The older woman stated, handing them to the healer, who nodded her thanks.

It had been quite a long night for the Potter couple thus far. Harry and Ginny, his wife of two years now, had been expecting their first child within the early days of February. One could only imagine Harry's surprise when he was roughly shaken up after a long day's work by an urgent "it's time" around 9pm January 21st, fifteen days ahead of the scheduled due date.

With apparating out of the question, the new parents-to-be had quickly sent a handful of patronuses to the Healer Reynolds, Mrs. Weasley, Hermione and Ron. Of course, that had resulted in a near Weasley reunion waiting excitedly in the living room. Now about eight hours later, everyone was tired and still awaiting the arrival of baby Potter.

"One more push darling. I can see the head now!" Healer Renolds urged the young mother-to-be.

"Come on Gin, one more go." Harry whispered in his tired wife's ear. She sighed and nodded, clutching his hand tight as she readied herself. Another scream flew through the air as she pushed with all the strength she had left.

Just when she thought it wouldn't be enough, a tiny cry followed its mother's scream and the healer held out a small newborn. After a quick scourgio charm, the babe was instantly cleaned and wrapped into a soft blue blanket.

"A healthy baby boy, Mr. and Mrs. Potter," Healer Reynolds smiled, holding up the newborn.

Though utterly exhausted, the red haired woman smiled and held out her arms, accepting her first child as she pressed a quick kiss to his little forehead.

"Oh Harry, he's beautiful!" She breathed, her hand brushing over the baby's dark messy tuff of hair. She then turned to her husband, a bright smile resting on her lips as she handed turned the baby toward her husband. "I want you to name him."

Harry Potter smiled graciously toward his wife and picked his new son up into his arms, his green eyes bright with pride as he looked at his child. With his father's unruly dark hair and his mother's rich brown eyes, the newborn's name was decided immediately.

"James." Harry spoke softly, cradling the boy in his arms.

"James Sirius Potter."


	2. Potter House

**Merry Christmas! Since I had some down time, I thought I'd put up the first official chapter. James is definitely a fun character to write about and I hope y'all like the story so far. Please read and let me know how you like it so far!**

At precisely 7 o'clock in the _morning_ on the first of September, a young boy burst forth from his bed with enough energy to wake all of Britain. Tossing his covers onto the floor and jumping out of bed, the eleven year old practically broke down his bedroom door, sprinting as fast as he could through the house.

"Come on, you lot! Get up, get up!" He called out, hoping to rouse his still slumbering family as he raced across the hall. He skidded past his parents' room, knowing full well that his mother would curse him into oblivion if he dared to enter her room before eight in the morning.

Instead, a smirk that only an older brother could possess pressed over his lips as he stealthily opened the door marked with a golden 'A'. Once inside, he snuck over to the bed, where another boy currently slept. Despite the apparent age difference, the similar mess of jet black hair clearly marked him as a Potter and matches his brother's in its unruliness.

Slipping his hands underneath the mattress, James leaned in until he was about an inch from his sleeping brother's ear and took a deep breath.

"ALBUS THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE!"

Emerald green eyes snapped open in shock and a yell escaped the boy's mouth as his mattress was flipped over, sending him onto the floor for a second time that month.

"JAMES!" He shouted, _ready_ to skewer his older brother, only to find him already running down the hall.

Sliding a leg over the English Oak bannister, James quickly slide downstairs and landed on both feet into the floorboards with a satisfying thud.

Brown eyes, bright with excitement, scanned over the kitchen table until they picked up on their desired target. A letter lay out in the open, sitting right on top of its opened envelope, the Hogwarts stamp peaking out from under it. He had nearly ripped the letter in half in his haste to see its contents, not even a week ago.

Now, nimble fingers gently ran through the letter as if it were a precious artifact like the ones his Uncle Charlie often uncovered. He glided his thumb over his own name in the brilliant green penmanship, still awestruck by its presence.

It was finally his time. After eleven seemingly eternal years, James Potter was finally going to the famous Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The very same school that his parents had gone to, along with his aunts, uncles and cousins. And of course, Teddy Lupin, the best half werewolf metamorphagus wizard of all time! Well perhaps the only one at that.

Not to mention, he was practically James's brother, what with his dad being the boy's godfather and all. That fact that he was five years older than James and a proud Gryffindor keeper only seemed to verify that he was far cooler than his real siblings, Albus and Lily.

James was ready to burst at the idea of going to school with Teddy and with his many many cousins. After scanning over his letter once more, he opened the drawer where he knew his mother had hidden the brand new wand last night.

Eleven and a half inch ebony wood with a dragon Heartstring core, he thought, recalling the words of the famous wand maker Ollivander himself. He had been particularly delighted to aid the young Potter, but the pleasure soon turned into a mixture of amusement and slight annoyance at the boy's excitable and mischievous ways.

"You're every bit of the men you were named after." The man had said, though the words still didn't make sense to James. He tried to ask his father about it, but as usual, never did get a proper answer. Nonetheless, he had managed to procure a devilishly handsome wand, nearly black in color with a simple yet striking grip.

The eleven year old had proudly held onto it for the entire day, until his mother caught him terrorizing his siblings with it. After Lily's normally red hair turned bright pink and Albus developed a beak, the soon to be wizard was sent to bed with no wand. A troublesome smirk fell on the boy's face as he lifted his wand into the air, grinning when he felt a light surge of magic linger in his arm.

However, the wave of the wand also resulted in sparks shooting out the end of it and striking down several pots and pans in the kitchen.

"James Sirius Potter, you better not be playing around with that wand of yours!" He winced at the sharp yell of his mother's voice from upstairs.

Ginny Weasley was not one to be trifled with and her eldest son was far from being an exception. He found it particularly curious as to how she had missed his attack on Albus entirely yet caught him damaging her pots. Then again, there were three things to never harm if they wanted to survive the wrath of his mother. Her family, her quidditch gear and her kitchen.

"Course not mum!" He hollered back up to her, tempted to try another bout of magic. But just as he waved his wand, it flung itself right out of his grasp. With a gasp of shock, he followed the direction of the flying wand and grimaced at whose hand it flew to.

Harry Potter tossed a half hearted glare at his son, shaking his head.

"What have I told you about underage magic?" James ran a hand through his messy black hair, a nervous smile on his face.

"It's illegal for wizards under the age of seventeen to practice magic outside of school." He admitted, but paused and let a shy smile befall his face. "But, I don't go to school yet-"

"And you won't ever if you don't pack your trunk." his mother interrupted, walking up behind her husband. Realizing his defeat, James ran off to his room to finish packing, leaving a smirking mother and father in his wake.

Half an hour later, the determined boy departed once again from his room, trunk packed in record time. It was full of everything a eleven year old would consider necessary. In other words, several quidditch posters, a box of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes pranks, an old wizard chess set and his beloved Puddlemere United jacket.

The jacket had been gifted to him by his father, despite his mother's formal rivalry against the Quidditch team. And although it was still too large on him, he eagerly paraded around in it whenever the opportunity presented itself. Thankfully, Ginny had made him pack all the 'essentials' like robes, parchment and socks yesterday.

After hauling the obscenely large trunk out of the room with all the strength he possessed, James huffed in frustration.

"First spell I'm learning is how to lighten things." He groaned, stumbling down the stairs.

As soon as he made it down to the first floor, the smell of fresh bacon and eggs waved over his nose and he sprinted back into the kitchen to find his family already eating breakfast.

"Oi! You couldn't have waited?" He whined, plopping down between his two siblings, a cheer Lily donned in her lavender Pygmy puff pajamas and a slightly disheveled Albus still rubbing his forehead .

"Well, we did want to eat some. You know, before you ate it all." the green eyed boy mumbled, causing Lily to giggle. James raised an eyebrow at the comment. Albus was normally rather quiet, more often rolling his eyes and ignoring his brother's dramatics than teasing back.

Then again, James had quite literally thrown his brother out of bed...again.

"Worry not, dear brother," he sighed, his voice full of pride as he crossed his arms and held his head high. "For I shall soon be eating like a king at Hogwarts. But until then..." He grinned and snatched two piece of bacon off his brothers plate, plopping them swiftly into his mouth.

"Hey!" Albus spoke up, only to have his already messy hair ruffled by said boy.

"Boys, do behave." Ginny sighed, rubbing her temples as Harry hid his amused expression behind the Daily Prophet. "We've only an hour before we meet the others at the station."

"Yes mum." Came answer from both sons, one glum and one forever mischievous.


	3. King's Cross

**Sorry for the delay. It's been a busy week, but nonetheless, here's chapter 3! Please read and review!**

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"When will we be there?"

"Soon."

"How long?"

Harry sighed, both hands on the wheel as he attempted to ignore the slight irritation growing from his impatient son. Ginny chuckled as she sensed her husband's normally calm composure fading.

"We'll be there soon enough, honey." She told James, saving him the trouble to answering for the umpteenth time that car ride.

"What do you think it'll be like?" Albus asked his brother with a hint of curiosity. The eldest Potter child smiled and began to run through all the amazing things he'd heard about from his cousins and family.

The next fifteen minutes were spent discussing everything from the heavenly feasts to the well loved Quidditch games, with James going into as much detail as he could without having been there himself.

His young siblings listened with awe as he went on with his elaborate descriptions. Unbeknownst to the children, both parents smiled softly at the boy's obviously exaggerated tales and his excitement to go to Hogwarts. They had decided to keep quiet about much of the school, wanting their children to experience it on their own.

They only hoped it would still be standing when their first born came back for the holiday.

King's Cross station was just as James remembered it from last year. Although this was his first time going to Hogwarts, he had visited the station a total of four times, one for each time Teddy had attended Hogwarts.

And every single time, James dreamed of hopping onto the brilliant red express and traveling far away to the wonderous magical school. It nearly killed him to watch his 'precious' older cousin Dominique go before him, with her prim and smug attitude following swiftly behind her. Nevertheless, he thought with a grin, it was his turn. Finally.

He smiled and continued to push his trunk along, his little sister Lily riding on the end of it. She had only seen the station a couple of times, being to young to remember most of them.

Once they halted between platforms 9 and 10, Ginny scooped her daughter off the luggage and into her arms, her left hand on Albus. James felt a familiar hand on his shoulder and grinned to see his dad right beside him.

"Ready?" He asked, to which his son eagerly nodded. With a quick glance at the passers by, the two quickened their pace until they were on a full sprint towards an old brick wall. But just before they were about to collide with the cracked stones, they went straight through the wall, reappearing on the other side.

On this new side, a bright red train as long as the eye could see, held itself with pride. The sign 'Platform 9 3/4' stood right beside it.

Dozens upon dozens of people were scurrying about in what seemed like every direction, saying hellos and good byes as children were loaded up onto the train. Once Ginny appeared with Albus and Lily in tow, the five proceeded to make their way through the crowd.

Growing impatient with all the foreign passers by, James was just about to give up when Albus tapped his arm and pointed. Bright smiles formed over the boys' faces.

"Teddy!" They cheered, running over and nearly tackling the teen. True to his name, the metamorphagus's normally sandy blonde hair turned a vibrate blue and he chuckled at the two boys clinging to his sides.

"Blimey. You two nearly gave me a heart attack!" He laughed, ruffling each head of messy black hair.

"Ah." Harry smiled at the trio. "I was hoping we would find you."

"Yeah. You sent a couple of blood hounds after me." The sixteen year old raised an eyebrow, Albus on his right and James on his left. The boys giggled, only to be interrupted by the shrill voice of the youngest Potter.

"Mummy, they're over there!" Little seven year old Lily Potter soon joined her brothers and Teddy in the group hug.

Several laughs later, Harry and Ginny had finally pried their children off of Teddy and regained control of James's luggage. That was when he noticed an old woman standing beside Teddy, an ancient smile resting upon her face and it dawned on him that she had silently observed the entire ordeal.

"Ah, hello Andromeda." His father greeted with his usual kind smile. The elder woman nodded to him, and James couldn't help, but stare.

Mrs. Tonks was an unusual lady with graying wavy hair that had once been brown and a matching set of eyes. She had to have been quite beautiful in her youth, though Teddy had told him a while ago that her husband died in the war.

Ever the curious one, James had asked about the war, but his own father had interrupted them and he never did learn the answer. Lots of discussions ended that way in the Potter house. He'd overhear a comment or two, but would immediately be shut down by nearby adults when he brought it up. It was remarkably frustrating, until James had given up with his investigation altogether.

Nevertheless, a thousand questions still rung in his head about Mrs. Tonks. Why was she Teddy's guardian? Where were Teddy's real parents? Or more importantly, why did she always stare at James? He knew better than to voice these questions to Teddy, as it would either end in his parents telling him to mind his own business or no answer at all. And if there was one thing James didn't want, it was to upset his favorite almost relative.

"So where are the others?" Ginny asked, clearing his mind as he turned back to them. It was true. A significant portion of his relatives appeared to be missing. Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur were regulars, seeing as two of their three children were well into their Hogwarts years. Not to mention, Uncle George and Aunt Angelina with their two kids. And finally, Uncle Percy and Aunt Audrey with their two girls. None of them were present.

"All gone and left, I'm afraid." Mrs. Tonks told them. "Percy and Audrey were here ahead of time of course. Bill was here with the kids, but he couldn't stay long. Fleur has the flu. George also had to leave early."

"Something about a couple kids running off with an extendable ear." Teddy added, recalling the crazy tale the man had been telling him.

Mrs. Tonks frowned at the time, muttering something about a doctor's appointment. She smiled at Teddy, having to look up due to the boy's growing height.

"Have a good year honey." She told him, giving him a hug and kiss. The elderly woman turned to James, that strange look in her eyes again, as she put a hand to his shoulder. "You as well James."

With her farewell to the rest of the Potters and a quick pop, she apparated on the spot.

"I'll grab us a spot on the train, yeah?" Teddy mentioned, gesturing to the magnificently huge red machine beside them. He nodded, a smile back on his face as he watched him go, but not before giving each Potter a farewell. The boy could practically hear Hogwarts calling him now, feeling the freedom just beyond his fingertips. He was so close.

While his parents chatted idly with one of the many people passing by - he was convinced they knew everyone - James turned his attention to Lily.

Realization that her eldest brother wasn't going to be with them much longer dawned on her cherubic little face, creasing her eyebrows and pulling her lips into a worried pout.

"Oh don't give me that look." He sighed, knowing full well he couldn't resist that face. "I'll be back for Christmas break."

The pout worsened.

"And I'll write to you."

Still there.

"Bloody-what do you want from me Lily?!" He groaned, exasperated. An innocent smile spilled over her lightly freckled face, her emerald green eyes shining with hope as she spread out her arms.

"A hug." Sighing once more, he pulled the seven year old in for a hug, spinning her into the air as she giggles. Once she seemed satisfied, he let her down and turned to his brother.

"I don't need a hug." James cocked an eyebrow, an expression he had been picking up from his Uncle Ron as of late.

"Good, 'cause you're not getting one." James folded his arms, keeping his face smug towards the younger Potter. Nevertheless, a smirk wormed its way to his face and he reached out to ruffle his brother's hair. "Don't miss me too much Alby."

"I told you. Don't call me Al-" But before poor Albus could finish, James moved on to his parents. Judging by his mother's face, she looked just as bad as Lily. Blimey, it was like these Potter women were dams ready to explode at any minute.

Just then, said Potter woman pulled him into another bone crushing hug. Though she had held it in well for most of the summer, Ginny Potter couldn't help but miss her oldest boy already.

"Oi! Mum! Enough of the hugs!" He groaned, trying to pull lose. "I'm going to school. I'm not dying." She sighed and nodded, going back into her usual composure

"Be good."

"I know."

"Pay attention in class."

"Yeah."

"Give Professor Longbottom our love."

"Mum, he's a professor. I'm not giving him love."

His patience was wearing thin. He was only five feet away from the train! And time was wasting! He turned to his dad, not quite sure what kind of goodbye to expect from him. Harry Potter was never a predictable man, though perhaps it came from his job. After all, predictability wasn't a very beneficial trait among the Aurors, least of all their head.

His father tossed him a kind smile and rested his hand on his shoulder.

"I'll miss you, James." He told him honestly, and suddenly James found it very hard to look him in the eye, unsure how to respond to such blunt care. "But you'll love Hogwarts. I have no doubt you'll make us proud."

"As proud as a Gryffindor's parents can be." He grinned, ignoring the eye roll he caught from Albus. Stepping away from his family, he cast them one last smile before pulling his trunk up onto the train and waving goodbye just before the door closed.


	4. En Route to Hogwarts

The interior of the train was the first new thing that James saw that year. Slightly darker than the bright outside world that lay beyond him, handing his trolley off to the nearest staff, eyes quickly adjusted to the dimmed lights above.

The train was fairly large to the eleven year old and he fought apprehension growing in the pit of his stomach. What if he couldn't find Teddy? No, he shouldn't think of such nonsense. With as many relatives that he had, finding at least one of them shouldn't be too difficult.

But as he glanced into each compartment in search of the sixth year, James wasn't paying attention to what was in front of him and promptly ran into something. Or rather, someone.

Falling to the ground with a thud, James groaned, rubbing his forehead. Merlin, it felt like he had just been hit by a bluffer. When he looked up, he found another student in a similar condition.

"Oi, watch where you're going." He said, brown eyes narrowed in annoyance. Of course, it wasn't his fault that they had smacked into each other. He had simply been looking for his relatives.

A girl sat across from him, an equally irritated look in her vibrant hazel eyes. With light blonde hair just a hint darker than his cousin Victoire and a purple muggle jumper on, she was clearly a stranger to him. Most of his friends growing up had been his cousins or his parent's friend's children.

"Why don't you?" She muttered back, standing up and straightening out her clothes. Tossing her another glare, James shoved past the blonde and kept looking around for Teddy.

About ten or so compartments later, he found him in one of the back compartments, along with Victoire, Fred, Roxanne and Dominique.

"Bout time you got here, James." Fred smirked, his slightly darker hand clapping him on the back. "We thought you might've missed the train."

"Yeah, wouldn't want to be the only new Gryffindor in our family this year." Roxanne teased, her dark copper hair falling over her shoulder as she leaned into her smirk. James felt a chuckle in his throat.

Roxanne was only a few months older than him and she had almost as much mischief up her sleeves as he did. He remembered many a time when the two had been younger and nipped desserts from the Christmas reunions.

Now at eleven years old, she was like a smaller more feminine form or Fred. Between her African American mother and her English father, the siblings had been rather gifted with tan skin, chestnut brown eyes and dark coppery hair. The only thing that kept them from being twins was the age difference and the foot of height that Fred had over her. And the fact that she was a girl of course.

"Please, I wouldn't miss Hogwarts for the world." James boasted, head held high with soon to be Gryffindor pride.

Feisty as ever, Roxanne didn't hesitate to playfully punch him on the shoulder and offer him up one of her cauldron cakes.

"Well you're lucky the train didn't leave without you." Dominique sighed, continuing to read from her newest copy of Witch's Weekly.

"Don't you have prefecting to do or something?" The first year retorted with a roll of his eyes. While he didn't hate Dominique (partially because he wasn't allowed to), he wasn't overly fond of her either. Putting smarts and beauty ahead of bravery, she had ended up in Ravenclaw house along with her older and much nicer sister Victoire.

To say that she and James differed in opinion was putting it nicely. The boy had told her on more than one occasion that if she wanted to be a proper Weasley, she ought to quit worrying about her 'strawberry blonde' hair and play some bloody Quidditch.

The advice hadn't been received too well and she had completely ignored him for the entire visit. It was not to say that she didn't have her nicer moments, they were just rare and limited.

"Hey you two, try not to blow each other up before we even get to Hogwarts." Teddy chastised lightly. Luckily, between James's respect for the metamorphagus and Dominique's interest in her magazine, no casualties were caused during the train ride to Hogwarts.

Instead, Fred took it upon himself to show Roxanne and James every single candy the Hogwarts Express had to offer. Chocolate frogs, cauldron cakes, pumpkin pasties, jelly slugs, licorice wands, and of course, Bertie Botts every flavor beans. Teddy's head turned a vibrant shade of green when he happened upon an vomit flavored one, which earned a round of laughs from all the Weasley and Potter children.

"That's it. I give up one these." He grimaced, handing the box back to a giggling Roxanne. "From now on, I'm sticking to pumpkin pasties and chocolate frogs."

"Bloody git, I've only got one frog left." Fred replied, but James had already snuck it out of his hand by the time his cousin turned back around and promptly ripped it open. A small dark brown frog burst from the casing and onto his head, giving a satisfied croak before leaping across the compartment. Once it stilled, Fred quickly stuffed the chocolate into his mouth with a satisfied grin.

Rolling her eyes, Roxanne turned to her cousin.

"Well which card did you get James?" She asked curiously. Glancing down, he plucked the pentagon shaped card from the package, turning it over.

"I got my dad." He said with a look of surprise and confusion. "That's strange. I thought only famous witches or wizards appeared on these cards."

He was met with silence among the four older students. Even Dominique had taken it upon herself not to say a word. Just when the eleven year old was about to make a suspicious remark, Victoire, who had originally remained rather quiet, broke the awkward silence.

"Well, your father is famous. I mean, he's head Auror of the Ministry of Magic. Between him, Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione, I believe they all have Chocolate frog cards." She told him with a practiced smile gracing her lips, much like the ones she gave to her family when they wanted her to do something, like not visit Teddy.

"Hey, as a matter of fact, do you mind if I keep this one?" Teddy asked, glancing at the card. "I haven't gotten your dad yet."

The youngest wizard shrugged and tossed it over to him, feeling the strange familiar feeling that he was not being told the entire truth.

Before he could really ask any questions, however, the door opened, revealing a tall girl already dressed in her Hufflepuff robes. The flaming red hair and splash of freckles over her nose clearly marked her as a Weasley.

"Afternoon Molly." Fred nodded to her.

"Hello Fred, Victoire, Roxanne, James." She smiled kindly to each of her relatives, before training her eyes on Dominique. "Dom, we need to head to the prefect compartment. They're going over some new rules for this year."

The other girl nodded, stowing away her magazine and following her cousin without another word.

"Thank Merlin, I thought she'd never leave." James sighed, stretching his feet over to Dominique's previous seat. However the death glare sent by Victoire told him otherwise and he quickly removed them.

"Why don't we all get changed? We'll be at Hogwarts soon." Teddy offered, standing up and stretching his legs. James and Roxanne followed suit, heading out of the compartment with the others to change.

It took James not but five minutes to do so, staring at himself and the other first years in their new robes. Without a house, the uniform seemed rather black and dull. He eagerly awaited the sorting that would take place at Hogwarts and add some color to them.

He pondered going back to his cousins, but as soon as the train doors opened, the only thing on his mind was freedom.

"Hey, don't run off without me you git!" Turning around, he found Roxanne's copper head bounding towards him.

"What's the matter Roxy? Can't keep up with my charm?" He grinned, only to be elbowed in the side.

"Please. You wouldn't know charm if a unicorn hit you upside the head with it." Chuckling, the two raced off the train, shoving past other students to get a glimpse of the new surroundings. After glancing about, they were rather disappointed when they didn't immediately see Hogwarts. They did however, see a man three times their size.

Rubeus Hagrid had been a family friend for as long as James could remember. The half giant was often seen during the holidays and the summers. He seemed to be especially fond of Harry, and therefore fond of the Potter children.

"Blimey James! I haven't seen ya since las' Christmas." He beamed, pulling James up and off the ground for a hug. Oh yes. He was very fond of James, much to the eleven year old's dismay.

"Alright Hagrid, you're crushing me." He muttered against the man, blushing. He prayed to the high heavens that nobody was watching the transaction. He had already gone way over his capacity of hugs today. To his relief, Hagrid put him down and smiled at the two.

"And hello Roxy, been a while since I seen ya too." She smiled at this and exchanged pleasantries with him while James got the feeling back in his arms. He knew Hagrid was the gamekeeper as well as the professor of Care of Magical Creatures class, but he hadn't expected to see him immediately after the train ride. However, this time, his question was answered instantly.

"Firs' years! Firs' years! Follow me down ter the docks!" Hagrid bellowed, causing dozens of small heads to look up at him in awe and shock.

James and Roxanne shot each other identical grins at all the expressions, feeling rather proud that they knew Hagrid at that moment. They followed the rest down to the docks, where dozens of large wooden boats lay on still water. James was surprised to find the only thing on them was a large lantern in the center. No paddles.

Shrugging it off, he stepped onto the boat, taking a seat towards the front. Roxanne followed suit right behind him.

"'Cuse me." James glanced up to see another boy looking at them from the docks. "Mind if I join you?"

He was a tad taller than James, but not by much, with light brown hair and matching eyes. But it was his expression that made James curious. There was no skittishness or hesitance in his voice. He was being polite, but wasn't the least bit nervous, a good thing because James probably wouldn't have let him on if he was.

"Sure." A smile broke out on the boy's face and he jumped onto the boat, sitting beside James. The sudden rocking of the boat rose a chuckle out of Roxanne and he held out his hand to James. "Name's Dean by the way."

"I'm James." He introduced himself, shaking Dean's hand.

"Roxanne." His cousin stated when the boy looked over to her.

In the course of ten minutes, it was quickly decided that James and Dean would be brilliant friends. Dean enjoyed Quidditch, mischief and pranks almost as much as James himself. The two spent about half the boat ride talking about Puddlemere United and their latest game against the Appleby Arrows.

"I knew they were going to win, but it was brilliant!" James stated after discussing the final two minutes of the game.

"That bloke of a keeper never saw it coming!" Dean boasted, a triumphant grin on his face.

"Then again, every keeper's a bloke compared to Wood."

"Quite true."

"Oi, Quidditch idols." Roxanne broke them off from their conversation as she pointing in from of her. "Look there!"

When they turned around, both boys' jaws dropped in awe. There, on top of a small hill, stood Hogwarts.

The castle was tall and majestic, small lights illuminating it against the still waters. Though seemingly ancient looking, no student could ignore its sense of magnificence and magic. Noticing the silence now filling the boats, Hagrid chuckled to himself.

"Ah that be Hogwarts, firs' years!" He called out. "Take a good look a' it. She's be yer home for the next seven years!"


	5. The Sorting

Once docked, Dean, James and Roxanne burst forth from the boat, along with the rest of the first years and quickly followed Hagrid up to the breathtaking school. Once everyone had arrived at the front doors, silence ensured once again.

Hagrid opened up his coat, retrieving a rather large umbrella and knocking it against the doors thrice. Not a moment later, the ten foot tall doors seemed to open on their own accord, revealing a tall and regal looking witch.

Dressed in dark, nearly black, purple robes, her midnight hair woven into a braid, all topped with a match violet hat, she appeared to be in her mid forties, and looked as calm and collected as she did professional.

"Hello students." She greeted them in a prim and proper voice. "My name is Professor Rowan. Now in just a few moments, we will be walking through the Great hall. In order to be a Hogwarts student, you will be placed into one of four houses." She paused and smiled. "Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryfindor or Slytherin. Now based on the actions of its students, each house earns points for exceptional behavior and loses points for disregard of the rules. Am I perfectly clear?"

Several nods and yes mams later, she turned around and led the first years through another set of doors. This time, James was much more impressed with the view. Four long mahogany tables stood in front of him, stretching all the way from the entrance to the Professors table at the very end of the room.

The sky, yes the sky, stood above them, stars shining brightly. Meanwhile small candles floated aimlessly about the area. And of course, therehe entire room was filled with students.

Reds and blues and greens and yellows covered every tie. Smiles and curious faces turned to look at the James and the rest of his fellow first years, as if trying to decide who would join their house. Rather than be intimidated like many of the others, James puffed out his chest and smiled right back at them, waving to several of his relatives along the way.

Once all the eleven year olds had made their way to the front of the room, James finally noticed a three legged stool, where an old fraying hat stood in front of them. Confusion plunged into his mind as it dawned him that while his older cousins had mentioned a lot about Hogwarts, no one had actually told him how they were sorted!

Bloody gits, he thought. Surely they did this to him on purpose. He looked up, seeing an older woman stand up beside Professor Rowan. Hair pulled viciously back into a tight gray bun, complete with a classic black hat and matching robes, he actually recognized the witch.

"Hello first years," she greeted, a weathered yet present smile on her thin lips. "My name is Professor McGonagall, headmistress of Hogwarts." James watched as she gestured to the old hat. "Now in order to be sorted, Professor Rowan will call out your name, the Sorting Hat will be placed upon your head, and you will be sorted." She nodded to the younger witch as returned to her chair with the other professors.

James's bright brown eyes returned to Professor Rowan and he could've sworn she nodded to the hat. Then, before he could guess anything, the hat started singing. Not talking. Not yelling, but singing at the top of its lungs!

'Some of you may recognize me

While others have not a clue

But I don't care, step right up

And I'll decide what to do with you!

I am the Hogwarts Sorting Hat,

Far older than any man.

I was made by the four founders

Ages ago, back when this school began.

Now perhaps you're one of those Gryffindors

And while they don't always behave,

Their courage, heart and chivalry

Makes them the house of the brave!

Or maybe you will be a Ravenclaw,

Whose gift lies in the quill

With a bright young mind full of wit

Wisdom is their greatest skill.

Then there is Ol' Slytherin,

The house of the cunning and clever

Ambition may come to mind,

But determination's their main endeavor.

And let us not forget the Hufflepuffs

And all their magical diversity.

Though honest, kind and fair,

Their famous trait is loyalty.

So come one, come all

I have never once been wrong.

I'll show you what this old hat can do,

And pick the home where you belong!'

Several bouts of laughter and applause filled the room as the hat finishing its solo. Professor Rowan stood up, unrolling a large piece of parchment as she cleared her voice. After a brief scan down the names, she quickly called out the first one.

"Hannah Aberly."

A few moments later.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

A loud applause sounded off from the Hufflepuff table as tiny dark haired girl dashed off in their direction.

"Blimey, it's alphabetical." James groaned, shoulders sagging in realization.

"Ugh, it'll be forever until we get to S." Dean sighed, sharing his newfound friend's disappointment.

"Speak for yourselves." Roxy muttered besides them. "Least you're not W."

From then on, the trio didn't really pay attention to the students. James regained his focus if a Gryffindor was called out, but barely remembered their names otherwise. Instead, the boy found himself staring longingly at his desired table. He would surely be a lion, right? He had bravery and courage, didn't he? .

"Benjamin Arlington"

"RAVENCLAW!"

On and on it went, cheers going out whenever a house was sorted.

James watched at the crowd of first years diminished and mentally cursed. Why did his last name have to start with P? If he'd been James Abbott, he would've been decided ages ago!

Beside him, Dean seemed to be thinking along the same lines and he didn't dare look as Roxanne's reaction. It was likely to be the epitome of impatience.

"Tessa Harrow."

It wasn't the name that caught James's attention and if he hadn't been looking in the general direction of the hat, he might not have noticed her at all. But he did.

Light blonde hair. Fair skin. And he couldn't see from his spot in the crowd, but he knew those eyes were the same the bloody irritating hazel.

"Ugh, it's her." James groaned, causing his fellow Quidditich addict to toss him a curious glance. "Ran into her on the train. Annoying, that one is."

They watched as she placed the ancient hat onto her head, its fabric nearly covering her eyes it was so big. Silence commenced for all of ten seconds before

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Well, I suppose you'll have to get used to her now, mate." Dean said, chuckling at his friend's slightly peeved expression.

Time continued and James nearly lost it at letter N, but finally managed to wait for his name.

"James Potter." He smiled. Finally! Moving his way through the crowd, his eyes intent on the hat, he couldn't help but notice the silence that followed his name. And then the whispers.

His smile wavered slightly as he felt all eyes on him. Walking up to front, he sat down on the three legged stool, trying to ignore the surprised and stunned faces staring back.

Even Professor Rowan shot him a curious look before plopping the large hat onto his head.

'Ah, a Potter! Been quite a while since I've had one of you!' James's eyes widened at the voice and quickly glanced around. Was the hat talking? Was that how his house was decided?

'Yes to both questions, my boy. Now let's see here, endless supply of courage, plenty of confidence, a fair bit of mischief. You'll do anything to protect your loved ones. Much like your namesakes, I suppose.'

My namesakes, James thought, puzzled. But before he could think a moment longer, the hat cried out a house.

"GRYFFINDOR!" And just like that, the room erupted into applause once again. He gasped, a huge grin spreading from ear to ear on his face as he jumped up and punched his fist into the air. Several laughs followed his actions, but James didn't care the slightest as he proudly marched off to the Lion's table, the word still boldly ringing in his ears. Gryffindor!

"Well done James!" Teddy grinned, clapping the boy on the back as he took a seat beside him. The eleven year old beamed, the praise from his cherished should-be brother only boosting up his pride.

"One Potter down. One Weasley to go!" Fred laughed as they turned back to the sorting. James barely even heard the names after that, his mind still in awe. Of course, he'd been boasting about getting into Gryffindor all summer, much to the annoyance of his siblings, but there had been a tiny hint of doubt with that hat on his head.

Nonetheless, he had achieved his life's goal, or rather his life's goal for this year. He almost didn't notice Dean sitting on the stool until another shout of Gryffindor sounded. A bright smile appeared on his face and he too came bounding over to the beloved table. James waved a hand over to him, calling him over to sit beside him.

"Congrats mate." James told him, noticing that Dean too looked ready to explode in happiness. Nothing in the whole world could take away the joy on his face.

Nothing except

"Roxanne Weasley!"

"Hufflepuff!"


	6. The Chosen One

James was not normally one for pity, but as he watched his closest cousin get sorted into the house of badgers, he couldn't stomp out the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

The two eleven year olds had spent the majority of their summer visits discussing all the pranks and adventures they would get into once becoming proud Gryffindors like their older relatives. Now it seemed like all those plans were ready to crumble for his fellow first year.

Though her face was hidden by her dark bronze hair, her back to him, he could already see her misery setting in by her hunched shoulders, as if she were trying to disappear from the world.

"What just happened?" It seemed someone had decided the thoughts of all the Weasleys sitting at Gryffindor table. Turning around, James wasn't surprised to find that it was Fred who had spoken up. He was, however, startled to hear his cousin so serious, so shocked.

Fred was rarely if ever a serious person. Sure, James might have him beaten for pranks and mischief, but his older cousin was always up for a laugh.

The sorting of his little sister into a different house was clearly was not one of those moments.

Growing a bit uncomfortable with the sudden silence in their part of the table, Dean asked if any of James' cousins played Quidditch.

"Are you kidding? Teddy and Fred are the best!" James boasted. His older relatives rolled their eyes at his antics, but couldn't suppress the faint smirks appearing on their faces.

"Well, he hasn't got it wrong now has he Ted?" Said a blonde haired boy beside Teddy. "With you as Captain, Gryffindor's sure to win!"

Said Captain's hair turned bright pink at the statement, his modesty getting the best of him.

"We'll have to see now won't we, Isaac?" He chuckled, willing his hair back to its previous Gryffindor Gold. Isaac Finnigan then dove into some of the news about this year's Quidditch teams, during which Dean and James held on to his every word. It was only until McGonnagall once again stood up to make her speech that their analysis of the latest chase warm ups was halted.

"Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts." The elder witch greeted the students. "Now I know you all want to dig into our lovely feast, but I would like to remind everyone of a few ground rules."

James wrinkled his nose at the mention of rules. Rules, as far as he was concerned, were meant to be broken.

"First, remember that all students are prohibited from entering the forbidden forest."

"Because forbidden didn't already make that clear." Fred mumbled, earning a couple chuckles, relieved that he was no longer so serious looking.

"All first years are not allowed to own broomsticks."

"My heart just broke." James sighed, dramatically clutching his chest.

"And of course, all students are to abide by the school rules. Any broken rules will result in loss of house points." The headmistress paused for a moment, before waving her wand. "Now tuck in!"

Instantly, food began to appear over all the tables. James stared wide-eyed as a full tray of meatloaf presented itself not three inches from his elbow. Grinning, he happily loaded his plate with everything he could find. Mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits, meatloaf, wings and more. And of course, treacle tart for desert.

"Just like your dad." Teddy laughed, noticing his cousin's desert of choice.

"Yeah, you should see him when mum makes it from scratch." The eleven year old grinned, "He always races Al and I to the kitchen."

"Oh yeah, that reminds me." Dean spoke up, putting his spoon down. "Why didn't you tell me your dad was Harry Potter?"

"What do you mean?" James asked, raising an eyebrow at his new friend. Sure, his father was head of the Auror Department, but he hardly considered that significant enough to bring up amidst all the wonders of Hogwarts.

"What do you-He's got to be the most fa-"

But at that precise moment, Fred and Teddy locked eyes and the Weasley quickly stood up.

"First years follow Darcy Richards to Gryffindor Tower!" He shouted, causing all the Gryffindors to stare.

A chocolate haired girl with caramel skin glanced up at him as if he were crazy.

"Fred, dinner's not finished yet-" she began, but the third year cut her off.

"Oh don't be silly Darc" he beamed, making her stand up. "Now's good as ever! This way first years!"

Grabbing Emma Flint-Fletchy as well, Fred had the ladies guiding the new Gryffindors out of the Great Hall before James could even snag another piece of treacle tart.

Nonetheless, he tossed it to the back of his mind and followed the rest of his fellow first years.

Hogwarts Castle really was quite enormous. If one looked up, they could see a least six flights of moving stairs above them, rotating however they pleased.

He, and Dean took up the rear, glancing about at all the moving pictures, some of which waved happily while others looked rather peeved at all the 'ooh's and 'ahh's they were receiving.

Eventually, they made their way up to a large portrait of a middle aged woman in pink.

"This is the Fat Lady." One of the prefects introduced. "She provides the entrance to Gryffindor Common room."

James scoffed a little at the portrait's title, deeming it a fitting name for the plump woman who was now glaring at him.

"Password?" She requested, her voice almost overly regal.

"Leo Fortis." Darcy called out to the portrait and the Fat Lady swung the door open, allowing the Gryffindors inside.

It took all of five seconds for James to decide that he quite liked the common room. Everything appeared to be covered in brilliant Gryffindor red and gold, all except the dark hardwood floors beneath his feet. Large cushioned chairs and couches littered the room with a large roaring fireplace at the eastern wall. The house mascot was boldly displayed above the fireplace, an elaborate lion that flicked its tailed as it settled into its spot.

"The boys dormitories are up the stairs, on the left. The girls are on the right." A prefect told the first years. "You'll find find your name on one of the doors. Your belongings have already been delivered."

The boys quickly sprinted up the stairs, eager to see the rooms. James made a particular point of shoving past that blonde girl from the train, grinning when she glared at him.

Four doors to the left, he found the name James S. Potter printed proudly in golden letters over the wooden door. Also on the door were the names Dean M. Spinnet,

Logan E. Turner and Thomas R. Blishen. He turned to his right to find Dean mirroring his infectious grin and both boys quickly dove into the dormitory.

Four tall poster beds lay spread about the room with deep red curtains tied up to the wall. A small stove sat in the middle of the room with a bathroom off to the left. James took a glance around before plopping himself into on of the beds closer to the window, sprawling out like a starfish.

"Dibs on this one." He stated, enjoying the feel of the soft mattress beneath him. Another body plop told him that Dean had selected the bed to his right.

Not two minutes passed by before two more boys entered the room. One with a thick mass of dirty blonde curls and the other big enough to be a Quidditch beater.

"Ah, you must be the roommates." Dean greeted the two. The curly haired boy tossed him a sharp grin.

"Thomas Blishen." He introduced himself. The three turned to the broad shouldered first year, who calmly introduced himself as Logan Turner. Dean and James did the same, though James watched as Thomas's eyes lit up at the introduction.

"Blimey, so you're James Potter!" He exclaimed, blue eyes bright with interest. "Certainly an honor to meet ya."

There came that feeling again. It had happened during dinner when Dean was talking about his dad and it was even stronger now. The feeling of being in the dark from some big news. James didn't like it one bit.

"Why's it an honor?" The eleven year old asked.

"Well since your parents are famous and all." Logan mentioned quietly as he sank into his new bed.

"I mean yeah, I suppose since dad's an Auror and mum used to play for the Holyhead Harpies." He pondered out loud as he ran a hand through his messy brown hair. "I didn't think it was that big of a deal though."

The three other boys shared a bewildered look before glancing back as James as if he had three heads.

"Are you joking?" Thomas asked, as if trying to decide if James was bluffing or not. "He's got to be joking right?"

Dean remained silent for a moment, earning an incredulous look from the young Potter.

"No, I'm not joking. What are you lot going on about?" He asked, his tone a little more firm. It was getting annoying that everyone seemed to know some big secret except for him.

"James, you know you're dad's a hero, right?" Dean asked, offering him a curious look.

"What are you talking about?"

"The chosen one."


	7. Bloody Mad

James stared at his new mates in silence. You could have heard a penny drop until...

James burst out in laughter.

"That's rich!" He gasped out between laughs, clutching his side in pain. He leaned back on the edge of his bed, managing to tip himself over in a fit of giggles. "Oh wow, you lot really know how to pull someone's wand."

But after a few more minutes of nonstop hysterics, James finally realized that he was indeed the only one who had been laughing.

"We're not joking, James." Logan told him seriously, his eyes looking down at his new mate with slight concern.

Glancing about the bewildered looks of his fellow first years, James finally stopped laughing enough to shoot them all a doubtful look.

"You mean to tell me that my dad, a man who can't even keep track of his own socks, is some war hero?" The eleven year old chuckled at the thought. "You're all bloody mad."

"We're serious James!" Thomas piped up, blonde curled swaying as he popped up onto James' bed. "Harry Potter saved the world after his defeat of you-know-who!"

"Look mate, I'm sorry, but this is all complete bullocks." James responded, throwing his hands in the air. "I mean sure. I guess dad's job is pretty cool and all, and he knows some bloody amazing Quidditch players, but that's the end of it. None of this you-know-what's-it stuff."

"But-"

"No." He cut in, setting his wand on his nightstand. "Now that's enough of that. It's our first night in Hogwart's. Let's enjoy it, yeah?"

So after his insistence, James managed to hush up any further talk about his father. Instead, they chose to play a couple rounds of exploding snap.

James was pleasantly surprised that they were harder opponents than Albus, who was usually subjected to the game whenever his older brother demanded so. It wasn't long before the night grew long and the boys found themselves tucking in for bed.

James pulled the Gryffindor Red covers up to his chin, practically smothering himself with them to verify that he really was in the house of the lions.

All the things his fellow first years had said about his dad couldn't be true. At least, that was the last thought running through his head before he too succumbed to sleep.

 _Dear Mum & Dad,_

 _Hogwarts is bloody amazing! I can't believe you didn't tell me about it sooner! We arrived by boats and the castle is huge and there's a talking hat and the Great Hall has no ceiling! Seriously, what happens when it rains?_

 _Anyway, yours truly got himself into GRYFFINDOR! Where the brave dwell at heart! I told you I would get sorted there! And I have a new mate named Dean Spinnet. He says his aunt used to play Quidditch with you both. He got into Griffindor too, of course. We both want to try out for the team._

 _Unfortunately, Roxy...well, she sort of kind of got sorted into Hufflepuff. But that's a mistake right? Roxy is the bravest out of all of us, aside from me of course. And we've been planning all our adventures all summer!_

 _That's not the only strange thing going on. My roommates said dad is some kind of war hero. Mad right? They kept saying all this "chosen one" stuff. It's obviously bullocks right?_

 _Hope you lot are doing well,_

 _James Potter_

Reviewing his letter once more, James nodded and dipped the quill back in the ink well before tucking the note into an envelope.

"Alright, which of you are the fastest?" He called out to the three owls available in the owl post.

A rather large brown owl let out an ear piercing screech, flapping his wings against the other two. The eleven year old winced at the noise before quickly fastening the letter to the owl's outstretched leg.

"Jeez, so loud. Bring this to Harry and Ginny Potter please."

After the owl swooped out the window, James glanced back at the clock and cursed. He was late to breakfast.

Snatching his book back, the first year dashed down the stairs, determined not to miss out on his first ever Hogwarts breakfast.

In fact, he was running so fast that he didn't even notice the puff of white smoke until he had already gone straight through it.

"Ugh." He groaned, shaking himself off from what seemed to look like flour.

"Well I do beg your pardon!" Came a voice behind him. Turning around, James gasped at the translucent figure of what looked to be a portly man.

"Whoa. You're a real live ghost!" He stated pointing at him as if to accuse the ghost otherwise.

"Well, I wouldn't quick say live, now would I?" The ghost chuckled. "They call me the Fat Friar." The first year sniggered.

"Well you said it, not me." James grinned, before introducing himself. "They call me James Potter."

"Great Scott, indeed you are!" The ghost gasped. "You look every bit as much as your father! I-"

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I'm practically Harry Potter 2.0." He cut off the Fat Friar, impatient and hungry. "But I'm starving and late to breakfast. Where's the Great Hall again?"

He could've sworn he saw the ghost roll his eyes before pointing to the boy's right. Muttering a thanks, he dove off in that direction.

The clanging of plates and chatter of students came to his ears and he spun to his left, entering the Great Hall. Only when he reached his friends and family, did he skid to a stop and squeeze between Dean and Logan.

"Morning you lot, how's the food?" He greater the crew as he quickly loaded up his plate.

"Where have you been mate?" Dean asked him. "We thought you got swallowed up by the giant squid or something."

"They have one of those?"

"That's what my brother tells me anyway."

"Wicked."

James chose that moment to load himself up with pancakes, syrup and bacon, making it a point to admire the cooking.

Who made all this stuff anyway? Shaking it his head, he simply wrote it off as magic and continued eating.

But what he couldn't write off was the sight of Roxanne over at the Hufflepuff Table. She sat further away from the rest of her house, choosing to spear her eggs in silence.

He bit his lip, contemplating going over there himself. It simply didn't make sense that Roxy of all people would end up in Hufflepuff of all houses.

He made a note in his head to talk to her about it later that day.

"So what's our first class?" Dean mumbled through a mouthful of pancakes. James glanced down to his time table.

"Transfiguration."


End file.
